The World Phantom Only Knows
by BerryBliss
Summary: Kuroko Tetsuya is a shadow, a person who's lived under the light. So what happens when he meets Kagami Taiga, an angel who tells him that the only way to save the world from the demons is to make certain people fall in love with him within a month's time? What if there's actually a bigger plot in the works that puts all of them in danger? (GoMKuro)(full summ. inside)
1. Prologue: The Birth of a Conqueror

**Hi everyone, BerryBliss here once again with a crazy story idea for all of you!**

**TWGOK is a special case among all the harem series I've watched, it's a gem of its own. S3... the FEELS. (Watchers know what I mean)**

**Now I'm starting to think it would have been better if I made this a reverse harem Fem!Kuro or something... too late for that. Maybe OC-centric? Not sure... If some of you want that, I could make a separate version of this xD**

**Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke is made by Fujimaki Tadatoshi-sensei, that basketball anime filled with bishies is not mine. And so is the World God Only Knows, the only harem anime in my anime list which made me fangirl... is not mine as well. All rights go to their respective owners.**

**Warning: OOC-ness, grammatical errors, typographical errors, indirect parodies (yes, you'll see a bit, but not that much to irk your otaku senses), and fluff. Serious fluff. But not more than that.**

**Pairings: It's written all over the story, the summary and well, pretty much everything, every pairing you can imagine with Kuroko in it, I won't be able to do that much though. You'd might as well call this story "The Harem Which Kuroko Has" but... no.**

**Well then, with all my heart I bring all of you this story of mine! Entitled: The World Phantom Only Knows! (Once again, sorry for that terribly long author's note)**

**Oh and by the way, I think I really need to research on positions, the usage of the word counselor varies so... -_- Please pardon my lack of abilities in this!**

**Edit: Full Summary here: **Kagami Taiga and the Seirin angel unit find out the demons have a menacing plan to be executed at a month's time... and Kagami's job is to stop all of it, however he couldn't do it alone. He needs to find a "conqueror" who's capable of bringing out the "miracles" in certain chosen males... and this lands on a certain student in Teikou named Kuroko Tetsuya, who has almost no presence, and even Kagami has his doubts whether this would work. Could this be a new turning point to Kuroko's life in his own isolated world? And what actually makes him different from other humans to make the demons and angels be after him? (TWGOK like universe) (GoMKuro conquests)

* * *

"Damn... those demons are plotting something again!"

Hyuga Junpei, head counselor of the forces watching from above or Seirin angel unit or whatever you'd like to call it, was utterly desperate to end this meeting, however, that was unacceptable as long as Aida Riko was around.

Even though he was head counselor, that didn't mean he was the one in charge. Even amidst this table where they all sat in a circle, Aida Riko was the center of attention, and she wasn't the chief adviser for show.

"Hmm... this has indeed been quite a problem... and it seems there's only one way to solve this." She said while narrowing down the possibilities with the latest devices she had received from the higher-ups, specifically God... but then again, who said heaven was low-tech?

"Well... we should take it easy for now, we had just survived a battle with Hell so..." Eyes turned to look at Kiyoshi Teppei who had made the said suggestion, and thanks to this, he had received a heavenly slap on the back from Hyuga telling him to shut up and just listen to orders, followed by Teppei pointing out that if they always stuck to orders and instructions, the variation of the results wouldn't change at all... and currently, they were really out of options to even choose from.

"So moving on Riko... what is this way you speak of?"

"You see Teppei, everyone... The demons are planning a conspiracy against Earth, and many lives are at stake as we speak. I trust you are all aware of that, right?"

She had received agreeing nods and she moved on to showing them the planet scan results she had received, pointing at one particular country.

"... Japan?" Koganei Shinji questioned with his cat-like expression, and in the living or in the dead zone, he was still like that, and to normal eyes, it seemed like nothing changed. But if you saw with eyes like theirs, if you saw all of what was beneath through the view above... then you would know that things have changed.

Everything did.

From the people's freedom to the world's laws, even the slightest details of everyone's lives...

"Yes, recent activity there arouses suspicion. I have told Mitobe to investigate where these signal warnings of large power are coming from, and it seems to come from certain... human beings, no one knows where those powers come from, so I have decided to mark their locations, and they all pinpoint to one location." Riko nodded at Mitobe, who remained the silent worker and displayed the outcome for all of them to see.

"...And that is?" Izuki Shun who had been quiet for the whole time now, stood up from his heavenly seat (I think you get the joke by now), gracing the device once again with his mechanical abilities in reading stats, and now looking at the results, it seemed needless to ask. Even when he was still of the living, this particular school's name and reputation stood out from the rest.

**"Teikou Academy."**

"...You mean that elite school for rich people? Ah, no wonder they say money and education is wealth." Fukuda commented, making sure his existence wasn't forgotten, cause well, he along with his comrades, Kawahara and Furihata who weren't part of the major unit, yet still part of the actual force, didn't even have any major mission since they had signed up for death's door, they felt like sit-ins, without having to do any significant activities and all... Still, their comments were taken seriously, for whoever was a member was part of the team, and they were going to get to the root of this as a team.

"Tss... In the end, they're all probably half-assed bastards who couldn't even live without depending on people. This person, that person... they're all the same."

This was heaven, mind you, and cussing was definitely not allowed.

So what happens after Kagami Taiga is struck by a wave of thunderbolts from God himself?

Nothing, he revives anyway, but still he feels pain, he may be dead, but the pain's still there. He could only protest and complain, nothing more and nothing less. Still though, no matter how bad-mannered he was, the Seirin unit knew by now not to underestimate this person's ability as one of their members. Kagami Taiga, an angel who had just joined the year before, and he was already producing fruitful results. If not for his tendency of blowing things up and the unruly attitude, he was definitely one of the most reliable people around.

The angel on fire.

"Well then, Kagami-kun, I'm leaving this mission to you." Riko commanded, and she had received a disapproving gape from the said redhead.

"WHAT?! Why me?!"

"Well, we don't see anyone else for the job. Besides, Kagami-kun, we trust your abilities, and you do to. You were boasting about it earlier right? Then I don't see any problem in sending you when you're that confident-"

"I don't remember anything saying anything like that! I was just pointing out that- ugh..."

Kagami knew this was going to turn nasty, they all did, for the earlier angelic authoritic aura around the brunette girl had just transformed to something you would call "satan-worthy", it swiped the pants off him.

Or wait, he didn't have any.

"Kagami-kun, I don't want to hear any more complaints, you'll be going to Earth tomorrow! Waah, I'm so happy, that's one naughty one gone from the list..."

Riko reverted back to her former self, cutting herself and her boys some slack, the moving on to explaining how to bring out those miracles, they needed to find a person who was capable of keeping up with these "miracle people", cause from the looks of it and their human records, they didn't look easy to deal with... and by that, it meant they were both challenging in personality and looks, they needed someone who wasn't easily deceived by looks, one who could keep up with his or her emotions.

Of course, that person needed to be available at all times near the targets, so they decided to narrow down all the people of the world to the Japanese females who lived in that area, and then finally narrowing it down to female students in Teikou Academy, that much was obvious common sense... the Teikou part.

"Hmm... there's a problem. A really really big problem." Riko added gravely, and she was told that she should have told them earlier before all the explaining and calculating took place, she merely returned that with a sarcastic sorry and an excuse that she couldn't help it.

"It seems that almost no one matches our search. We need to find someone who isn't brought down by emotions, yet did I mention that this person needs to be capable of making the targets fall in love with her?"

"...Wait, seriously, but if you look at our targets... They're damn good lookers, even I a guy can tell! But we can't possibly get a girl for this, I mean, it seems according to the records about 99.9 % of the girl students in Teikou have already fallen in love with at least one of these guys, or wait, maybe 100 %!" Kawahara jealously commented while touching his... almost shiny bald styled head, comparing it to the lush colours adorning the heads of his targets.

That was meant to be a joke.

The records were as always reliable, and they were indeed grateful for access to these accurate records which allowed them to see the world and what was happening and the relation of people in society through the mere action of well, typing, you'd might as well call it heaven's supercomputer.

They browsed through the names of the targets and indeed, most of them were well-known back when they were still part of the living. They still remembered those names, and it didn't help them in their current desperate state, it seemed to turn harder and harder the more they thought about it.

Just what kind of guys were these Miracles? Is there even a person on Earth who could put up with them, keep up with them, make them fall in love with her, and resist them?

But then again, no one said it was supposed to be a _she_.

As one of them said earlier, they really had to get a guy, and they would have to take any measure just to save the world... even if it meant violating gay rights.

"Well then, we should start by narrowing the male student body in Teikou Academy to... hmm... Izuki-kun, Mitobe-kun, can the two of you please try to search for people matching the requirement of people these Miracles don't know?"

"But ma'am, we don't know if the device has the capability of reading through that far..."

"Well... I do." Riko said confidently, "I just believe in computers that much, don't we all do? Wasn't the computer and the internet what helped us do our homework back then?"

"No. It was my seatmate." Kagami muttered. "Too bad he transferred to Teikou halfway back in our third year of middle school... Damn, he had good homework."

"Wait, Teikou? Kagami-kun, could you please tell me this person's name?"

Even though it was just a slight hope, Riko had clung onto it, this might have been a lead, for someone who could put up with this fierce tiger should have been sensible enough, and she was answered with the name "Kuroko Tetsuya".

The rest knew what to do, and the results soon came in without difficulty. They exchanged nervous glances and started reading through the descriptions. As intended, almost everything is specified. His name, his age, his blood type, his date of birth, parental background, his citizenship, the academy he attends (We all know that's Teikou... they do too), his social relations (In case you're wondering, it's indicated he's single... so far), and his human activity did not arouse suspicion at all, in fact he was so alone in almost every way it was beneficial to them, it just proved this guy was forever alone, perfect for the job.

However... one thing did bother them.

The stats of each human are supposed to be indicated and complete access to all information, and this includes their capabilities as a person, simply speaking, the scale indicating the measure of their hearts, whether they were tipped more to good or evil. That way, heaven is able to sort the humans into groups classified in different fields for them to easier "organize" them in the afterlife, however what bugged them most was...

Kuroko Tetsuya didn't have such information in his files, and only the word "unspecified" was visible. Nothing more, nothing less.

"But... why? All humans should have information in heaven's files... the system couldn't be imperfect, could it? Any malfunctions?" Teppei was typically stating the obvious, however he did get the main catch.

A human whose value was completely unknown, if not specified, it could be classified under "unlimited", the kind of human which was considered so capable that it couldn't be measured by the scale, and the other likely possibility was the "zero" level, which meant your values as a person was completely negative, but that didn't seem to be the case.

"Hmm... every human cannot avoid being scanned by the system, the last year I lived was the time when they invented the scan and they actually tested human's capabilities without them knowing. Look, don't you notice two years ago, all countries all around the world proposed this humanity project?"

"...You mean how they tested us simple stuff and common life sense? When they would ask if you prefer your preferences or-"

"Okay, Izuki-kun, that's enough of your puns." At this, the Izuki couldn't help but protest that it wasn't even a pun, but if they had this theory on how everything he said was a pun, then he was being completely misjudged as a person. Besides, who was going to blurt out puns when the very existence of the world is in danger? Not even him.

"But yes, Izuki-kun, and trust me, I had to help my father read those stats. After all, he was part of the Academy of Science which attained this information which of course heaven has access to, and he was chosen to be God's successor, who was my grandfather, just as my grandfather's father did before him and so did my great great- Well you get the point."

They shivered at the thought, they had almost forgotten on how capable the Aida family were at this for generations, the first days they were at this "safe haven", they had heard the Aida name various times, and they weren't to be underestimated. However, what made them shiver was the thought that their next god- or in this case goddess- seemed to have her own devils in her own way. They couldn't even imagine the future of Earth with a goddess like her taking over. But then again, she didn't become the youngest chief adviser in heaven's history for nothing.

"So... something in him must be making all the difference, something in him must be blocking the information from being taken from him."

"...Or maybe he's just that invisible, since I knew him years ago, he's always been like that you know." Kagami suggested, and no they did not want to hear about his life story now, so they didn't delve into the topic further.

"Riko-san, what do we do?" Furihata asked, wanting to be of help, he came this far to make it into the minor unit with and he felt sort of bad of not being able to do anything.

"Hmm... Furihata-kun, Kawahara-kun and Fukuda-kun, please prepare for Kagami to leave, he'll need the teleportation after all... Unless he wants to fly all the way there, then be my guest, Kagami-kun."

Kagami did not like the idea, and the three complied, understanding Kagami's reaction all of this.

With that said, they concluded the speculating more was the best and Kagami should leave as soon as possible, there was no question, and there was only one chance to do this.

And that was now.

"So... I'm off." Kagami breathed out and bid farewell to his fellow angelmates, who had wished him good luck (along with a joke that he'd better not blow things up), and finally entrusting him with the communicator, he had no more reason to stay.

And so with a snap of his finger, he was teleported, and there was only a void of darkness enveloping him as he closed his eyes.

And the next time he wakes up, he'll be in Japan's Teikou Academy.

* * *

Kuroko Tetsuya was minding his own business, and mind you, he was very good at doing just that.

He sat like that peacefully, as if no one was aware of his presence. Flipping through the pages of his book suddenly seemed very interesting, but it all came down to the fact that he was alone... and for the first time in his life, or perhaps in this case, his life as a first year high-schooler, he was truly bored, and it struck him deeply. He was the perfect epitome of what you would call: "The high-school student who's always isolated and perfectly satisfied with his life yet itching for something different to do" or something close to that.

He shifted slightly from his seat and looked up from the book he was obsessed with, observing his surroundings. In the end it was all the same, he would see Teikou students with their uniforms, all he saw was white and blue, it would only be a matter of time before everything turns dull grey.

That is... until he sees a different sight.

If you put it into colourful words, the sight he just saw was what you would call a "rainbow". Not only because everything about them was colourful, but because they were different.

_Special._

But that didn't change anything, in the end, he was still going to be one of the crowd, he was never going to stand on the same stage as them, he'll never be able to walk alongside them. That's what he concluded, and he wasn't going to change that mindset.

Until well, an angel named Kagami Taiga lands on his lap the very next minute, and that's going to change his mind about all of this.

* * *

1 minute.

That's how long he's been on Earth.

That's how long he's been staying on Kuroko Tetsuya's lap.

But it doesn't take that long for Kuroko to tell Kagami to get off him.

Kagami did as he was told, and yet something did bother him. He looked around and noticed that his hard fall was supposed to attract attention and yet... why were they being ignored?

He took a good look at himself, and noticed he now had a physical form. He was able to feel himself, he could feel physical pain, he could feel the sensation of his shoes touching the ground.

He felt human... aside from the fact that he still felt his wings in his back, hidden under the shelter of the Teikou uniform which was probably the work of his comrades above.

_Okay... so they did care about me after all... they could have chosen a better landing spot though... but this makes it all the more easier..._

"You're still the same as always, huh, Kuroko? Ever since middle school, you've always been that invisible, I guess you didn't change after all."

He was still the same as ever with his blank expression and those round blue eyes and soft silky locks of teal hair, giving him the slightly feminine look. At first glance, you would definitely think this guy was one of those blessed with unique appearance... and brains, which was unmistakably true when applied to Kuroko, you would definitely know he wasn't born dumb.

The said bluenette could only bob his head in confusion, not aware of what Kagami was talking about, he browsed through his memories, not having any matching the said events, leading to wariness and suspicion.

"Umm... If you don't mind me asking, how do you know my name? And umm... why did you fall from the sky? I don't remember knowing you from middle school... and I know every person I've met, but you're different, umm..."

"Kagami, Kagami Taiga."

"So, Kagami-kun, are you a student from Teikou? You don't seem to behave like one..." Kuroko trailed off, and Kagami took this as an insult. Just because he was slightly being rude and... barbaric, falling from the sky and all, didn't mean he had to say that... and he didn't want this invisible guy telling him that.

"Why you- Or wait, I shouldn't... Can't we just take this somewhere else?! Just so you know, I didn't come here to Teikou for fun! I didn't fall from the sky just to have fun, and for your information, I would mind if you asked me anymore questions about my suckish life!"

He didn't like where this conversation was going, and he knew Kuroko didn't either. When the smaller boy apologized, he merely said that it was fine- but he was prideful enough not to apologize, a trait of his he had always carried since the two knew each other when he was alive.

I guess he doesn't remember me now huh... After all we only talked once... and that was about homework, why would this guy remember him if they shared nothing memorable together? It was just memorable on his side because that was a thirty page booklet full of world history homework and those answers really saved him.

But it didn't save him from the end, and that's when he noticed that life wasn't about clinging to others and depending on them for answers. If he had just been a bit more aware of that... then maybe he wouldn't be regretting all this right now, this was being a bad habit.

"So... Kagami-kun, shall we take this to the rooftop? It's the only place we'll be safe... After all, your shouts seemed to have attracted too much attention..."

Several eyes were on them, and only now did Kagami notice the commotion he had just caused with all his bickering.

"Yeah... rooftop sounds like a good idea."

* * *

The view from Teikou Academy's rooftop had Kagami Taiga begging to unfold his wings and just... fly soaring high. It's that blue sky which spreads out above him that irks him though, for he knows they're watching his every move from somewhere, and he knows that that endless sky just showed him that his goals were just much smaller than he had thought them to be.

"So, Kagami-kun, what did you come to Teikou for? Like you've said earlier, you didn't come to Teikou for fun, you definitely have something in mind."

Even Kagami was surprised by the sudden mention of business, in fact, it being too peaceful was too good to be true, he had almost forgotten the bluenette was there.

"Yeah... and how do you know?"

"I know that look in your eyes, the look of someone whose resolve is set on something, and would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. I've seen it several times, I've... _had_ it several times."

"Yeah, yeah... it was just a joke, I didn't know what to talk about... So yeah, don't be surprised by what I'm about to tell you alright?"

"...And what would happen if I did just that?" Kuroko challenged, and Kagami just said that the safety of the world depended on it. That being a very big and vague thing, Kuroko merely obliged to the request and prepared himself for what was coming, keeping calm and all.

His life was surrounded by enough abnormalities already, he could get used to one or two more... _right_?

"So... would you believe me if I said I'm an agent from Heaven?" Kagami tested, for if Kuroko couldn't believe this small yet important detail, then his heart probably couldn't handle the rest ahead.

"Hmm... I would believe you more if you said you were an agent from Hell... but I believe Kagami is a good person, despite the looks of it... so I probably would."

Okay, that was totally unnecessary in Kagami's part.

"That's the point, I'm not a person, as I said, I'm a fallen angel from heaven, if that's how I simply put it. It's more complicated than that but well... that'll have to wait for later. You do know the basics about demons right? Every human would... I think."

"Umm... is the answer you're expecting how demons are beings of the afterlife formed from the very evil of emotions, rooting down to their former sins? If so then yes, I might know a bit about their background... or at least how we humans see them."

"Then that makes it all the more easier, and would you believe me if I said while we speak, the demons are plotting their next move to conquer this planet and we'll all die a sad end? Or wait, I already died... never mind, so would you?"

"... I suppose not, I'm not really used to believing everything I hear, Kagami-kun."

"Okay... So, let's do this from the start... You are aware that people usually have conflicting emotions and they do all sorts of bad stuff because of that, right?"

He receives a nod, and he further explains that the demons are plotting to use that against the whole of humanity, and that the humans aren't even aware that they're the ones causing all this to happen. This "dark energy" he often mentions between his explanatory sentences means the accumulation of the hatred of humans in one term, he clarifies, and that the only thing capable of erasing this is...

"These 'miracles you speak of?"

"Great, so you're fast on getting this, and that's a good thing." Kagami complimented, and he could swear that Kuroko absorbed that in very fast, saying it was probably the first ever compliment he had heard in his life other than how he was really quiet and invisible (yes, he took those as compliments).

"Heh... so you don't remember me complimenting on how you were dependable back then huh..." The said redhead muttered under his breath and completely shoved it off when Kuroko asked what was wrong, and he merely said it was nothing.

"Anyway, these miracles are basically what we call pure energy, in fact these things about good and evil are just... bah. There isn't really 'good and evil' if you ask me, just those two sides, the light and the dark, the shadow... get my point?"

"...Yes, I think I've gotten the hang of things."

_The **shadow**..._

_The one always watching from behind..._

_The one always having to be overshadowed by the light... _

_The one making its last stand alone..._

_The one always not having what the light has, yet has what the light couldn't have..._

It just made him pity the shadows even more, and no, it wasn't pity for himself, he wasn't that _dark _and negative. It's just, sometimes it really wasn't their fault that they weren't shone on by the light... it was just decided that way... it's been decided from the start, which meant all they needed was to push themselves even further, pushing themselves to move on forward.

He just didn't like that part, why people didn't even bother to try to grab on to the light, not doing anything for themselves to get the change they wished for.

"So... Kagami-kun, what is this pure energy you speak of?"

"Ah, yeah right," Kagami had almost forgotten, for it's been a while since the bluenette actually responded to his dreadfully long explanation that even he started to get bored, he couldn't even bring to pay attention to his own work.

"So this pure energy is basically powerful energy which even the demons couldn't touch, it's not what we'd call 'good' energy, it'd be more of 'neutral, neither of good nor evil, just you know... just like that, it's capable of incinerating us to ashes, formed from the very core of the wielders' hearts... and you know what makes those miracles even more powerful?"

"...No, Kagami-kun, please don't treat me like a fortune teller, I'm very new to this sort of topic... So please go easy on me."

"The world doesn't go easy on anyone, idiot. Or wait, here I am again... just ignore me."

There was this hint of cloudy sadness, which Kuroko swore could be seen on the angel's face right now, and he couldn't help but wonder what caused such sadness to suddenly come forth.

Or wait, once again he was being nosy, it wasn't any of his business was it?

"So... Kagami-kun, what is this thing you speak of?"

_A breeze blew that day, a breeze of a new beginning, something which marked the start of a long hard journey which wouldn't end soon- not while the world didn't want it to end at least- the start of something revolutionary that could change the world._

"It may sound silly, even I find it like that... But ironically, it's something we both don't really have... It's **_love_**, Kuroko. You know, that thing which makes everything seem so good that they could come true when they don't. The thing that just makes you hope... you know?"

The answer was so simple, so clear, yet so complicated at the same time. Kuroko Tetsuya didn't know anything about love, not even a tad bit of it, for he was long derived of it- he just didn't really have the heart to love, the heart to care he did have, but this and that were different, this goal just seemed too big- too impossible.

Not after his heart was at this state... not while his hope for a peaceful high-school life was still there...

But then again, if him changing meant saving the world, then he didn't see anything wrong with it. No matter how much he didn't have, this was still the world he was born in. The world where he learned how to walk, the world he breathed in, the world he lived in, the world where he had managed to see sights he could only dream of, the world where he had met them, where he had watched from afar.

"Kagami-kun... why are you telling me all this? Why me?"

"Because I came here for exactly that, you see... that's your job. You know, saving the world, of course I'll be helping you, but in the end it's all up to you to... how do I say this..."

"...So basically... you want them to fall in love with me?"

The way he said it so blankly yet mixing it with some indication that he couldn't believe it seemed sort of surprising to Kagami, judging he was taking this a bit too calmly.

"...Yeah, that's basically the catch... and oh I forgot to mention something, we have this time limit of one month... and well, let's just say there's gonna be a lot of hard targets... you ready for that?"

"...It would be bad for me to lie and say I'm ready, but if it's really necessary, then... I am, it's just, I want you to promise me something, Kagami-kun."

"Yeah... what is it?"

As an angel, if he hears a request, there is a possibility that if he informs Heaven, then they'll grant the said request if necessary. Since this person was to be the world's saviour and the miracle conqueror, then he didn't see any reason on why Heaven would object.

"Please promise me that this wouldn't affect my personal life... please, just... I want to put a boundary, saving the world and my life are two completely different things."

"Uh... not really, cause you'll die if this world ends so... Okay fine, I'll send the request to Heaven, just wait..."

Okay, I forgot to mention by Heaven communicator, they meant a phone, a cell phone. And no, it wasn't an iPhone or anything higher than that, in fact it was probably the humblest cell phone around... and did i mention the current timeline was 2024?

There wasn't really any specific number to Heaven, what mattered was the emotions set in it, and some other complicated stuff. There's a specific criteria to be able to reach to Heaven's server and it happens to be- that Kagami knows all by heart.

And so, after making the call and the quick approval, he hung up, telling Kuroko that the request was granted.

"So... they seemed to settle it like this, these targets will remember that someone conquered them, that's already a given, but they won't remember who exactly. Is that a good fair deal?"

"...Yes, it seems enough of a fair deal, however, Kagami-kun... you forgot about something."

Kagami's brow furrowed, not remembering about forgetting anything important... He thought and he thought and he thought, but still nothing.

"Lunch already ended minutes ago... and I'm sort of late for class..."

"Oh crap!" Kagami facepalmed, it wasn't really his fault that he forgot to consider that the guy still had classes, he got too caught up in the importance of the conversation.

"Sorry... But before that..." Kagami took out the wristbands he were entrusted with, and they were important, really important.

"Put these on."

"Umm... Kagami-kun, that sounds really suspicious..." Kuroko said while eyeing the black wristbands suspiciously, looking at them with fascination- and god forbid, they looked just like normal plain wristbands.

At first anyway.

It seemed that only Kuroko and Kagami were seeing this sight, for the wristbands were emanating an iridescent-coloured glow signifying the power inside them, and it was marked with what seemed like markings shaped into wings.

"Kagami-kun.. what are these?"

"They're proof you're a conqueror, it's our contract, and don't worry, you're not signing a contract to hell in this one, rest assured they're safe, they just glow a bit.. but they're safe... I think. They might feel hot at first though."

Kuroko took the wristbands from Kagami's hand, taking his last thoughts considering whether they should wear them or not- or that was already decided from the beginning. It was something he was entrusted to do, something only he could do, something only he was capable of.

And he was going to do it.

* * *

The moment he wore the wristbands, he saw, he felt all the feelings in the world a person could have... literally. Enveloped in light, he felt something forming inside him, something very close to realization, like he was slowly opening up, seeing things even clearer than before.

He wished it wouldn't end, this feeling, but he knew it had to, he knew everything was to come to and end, they were bound to be.

It was only for a brief moment, but he felt the feeling could last for a lifetime- that is, if he could even manage to live a person's worth lifetime.

"Kagami-kun..."

The latter looked at him, and was slightly taken aback to see him smiling. It was the first time he had seen Kuroko smile, or at least, smile from up close, and the sight was even brighter than he had thought it would be.

Okay, he wasn't doubting Kuroko Tetsuya anymore, for he felt that smile alone just made his heart go _ba-thump_.

"Yeah, you're officially a conqueror, let's work hard together from now on."

Suddenly, the bluenette did a gesture very much known to the redhead when he was still alive, the said movement was the act of raising one's fist, waiting for the latter to bump onto it as a sign of friendship and companionship.

_... I guess he's expecting me to do a fist bump with him huh..._

And he doubted that he would forget the moment that started it all, the moment that Kuroko Tetsuya became a conqueror, the fact that he was human, the fact that he could actually feel another person's touch on his.

Despite the future that awaited them... they knew, both of them knew they weren't alone.

Not anymore.

* * *

Omake/Bonus/Extra Drabble/Sneak Peek at our Phantom's Goofy Side of Life/ Whatever you want to call it:

"Kuroko Tetsuya, I repeat, is Kuroko Tetsuya here?" The teacher called out, and to think this kid whoever he was had the nerve to skip the first day of class for his high school youth. He once again looked at the attendance and noticed that this said boy was present in previous classes before lunch... which didn't make it any better.

_This little brat- what nerve to skip only **my** class, is Math really **that **bad? Am I really **that **boring?_

And yet it seemed only he was left to answer his question, so he just sighed and decided to mark this student absent.

"Umm... sensei, I was here the whole time."

The small voice came from the corner of the classroom, specifically the window seat (a.k.a the godly seat), which slightly surprised the students. All eyes were on the bluenette, and even his seatmate didn't know he was there. None of his classmates did, to be honest.

"Oh... really? You should tell me sooner..."

Okay, that was a total lie, Kuroko Tetsuya was glad that he was invisible, because even though he was late for class's first period after lunch for as much as 15 minutes... he still managed to get through attendance... barely.

Such is one of the advantages of being a phantom whose existence stays hidden and awesome.

* * *

**I don't suck at Math, I just don't like it. Not a joke. That omake is pretty much how I ranted... poor teacher. I'm very sorry to all the Math teachers in the world, mine included. *Does the Sakurai act***

**Coach-san (yes, I'm looking at you), I have good news for you. You're not the only one who'll be attending math classes this summer. You won't be suffering alone, only I won't be doing them in school... I'll tell you more about it when we meet next time.**

**So... please review? I would appreciate it very much. I'm all ears for opinions and suggestions for who the first conquest'll be...'cause I seriously don't know. But definitely not Akashi, he won't be last, but he'll pretty much be the most aggressive so we'll save that for later, shall we? *smirks* Any ideas are welcome! :D**

**I know my impression of Heaven is really messed up for a kid like me. Heaven couldn't possibly have a supercomputer... that's just me and my childish thinking. (Oh wait, here's a parody, got the idea of a supercomputer from the anime: "To Aru Kagaku no Railgun"... and I was quite surprised to see someone named "Shirai Kuroko" there... and well, her ability is teleportation which is close to disappearing and she clings to the main chara a lot but can be badass when she wants... sounds like Kise, anyone? xD)**

**The Academy of Science... we'll explore that sometime else, when the plot thickens... and no, this story is not merely Kuroko having experiences with his harem... it may be like that at first glance but... I think I have a lot of stories like that, I want to come up with a decent plot xD And this is far from that I think.**

**KagaKuro will be more of a broship here.**

**Seriously, I think this is becoming Angel Beats in Kagami's part. (With all the afterlife stuff and all...)**

**Well then, excuse me for now and till the next update! Thank you for taking your time, going all the way to read this!**

**-BerryBliss**


	2. Chapter 1: The First Conquest

**Wow, this much support in the first chapter. I know it's nothing big in general but... it is for me. I sort of feel bad though, I did my best and yet this chapter seemed to be a bit rushed, I tried to do what I could but it still... ended up like this, I hope it meets your expectations though.**

**There have been some unexpected... twists in this story which I didn't ask for, if in case there's confusion, please read the author's note at the end, I hope it helps you... even for just a bit.**

**Thank you for those who favorited and followed this story: AoiAkumaNeko, Cirucci, DiamondLightHQ, HeteroChromium, MehLikey, Nisha93, PandaWarlord, SnowTime, Twenquelv624, blackfairy30, yukinome23, ryoka-chan, BloodyZombie, kuroshiroryuu, MirrowLight, Pendraco, Riddikuluss, Yume Kurai, cookiemond, harley kush, and stephomi~**

**And thank you to the reviewers, really! They made me really happy :3 And I'm glad to hear your thoughts about this, sorry I am unable to reply though, I'm... sort of scared of replying, because what I reply always ends up the same -_- Unfortunately, I'm not really good with replying, in reality or in Fanfiction. Mentions: .7, Riddikuluss, Puncakegoddess, MehLikey and that Guest who haunts me at school (not anymore, we're at vacation :P) and at fanfiction, yes coach, I'm talking to you.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke. If I did then the GoM would be fluffier towards Kuroko.**

**Note (last one, I promise): I know Kise is slightly annoying at first, but he'll warm up soon ;) Hope you bear up with me, since well... I decided to change my view on him a bit, there's this side to him beneath all that fluff and this is actually my first attempt writing his serious side.**

**And with that, conquest start~!**

* * *

"Kagami Taiga... was it? Could you please just leave me alone after this? I'm really busy... are you... a _fanboy_? Aren't you being a bit cocky here? Here I am, about to listen to what you have to say and you stand there reluctant, so please, after I hear the order and do it, I don't want anything to do with you anymore."

"Hell no, you stupid dense blonde! I am not an effin' fanboy! Besides, it's not like I want to do this-"

_"Kagami-kun, is there really no other way to go around this?"_

At the bluenette's suggestion which flashed through his mind with their mental telepathy, Kagami Taiga scratched his head, and he fired a glare at the blonde, namely Kise Ryouta, who shot him with an equally threatening one in return. The two continued their glaring contest which Kuroko couldn't help but sigh to, he did not sign up being a conqueror to get into trouble with his life.

I bet you're wondering what exactly happened, let's look at the events before this all happened, shall we?

* * *

Recess.

A period of time which students look forward to, feeling satisfaction as if they are rewarded with a short period of time for recreation as a reward for their hard spent hours in the classroom having to cope up with boring lessons.

Also a time of school hours which loners dread, and our conqueror was probably no exception to this rule.

It's the usual daily routine of life, and the fact that he is now a conqueror seems to change nothing. As usual, he either grabs a book to read or sips on his beloved vanilla shake, which he enjoys very much for company.

He looks at the other corner of the classroom, where a lot of people have gathered around his fellow companion, Kagami Taiga, and he couldn't help but feel spite for fate. He knows however that this is not Kagami's fault but his own, for in the end, it depended on how the person really was.

_That's just how different we are..._

It's only been an hour and a half since he actually transferred, and here he was easily making friends. It was as if the world was mocking him, saying his efforts to try to fit in were futile.

That didn't mean it was too late though, for he was given a chance to start anew. He looks at his black wristbands which he wore on his two wrists, and he knows that they definitely meant something, there was definitely a reason why he was chosen.

He exits the said classroom and gets obsessed with the novel he holds, it's how he spends his time and passes his days, it's like his air. Books are his solitary friends, and he doesn't see what's wrong with not wanting to get hurt.

He doesn't see what's wrong in entrusting his heart to someone, or at least something.

"Oi, Kuroko, don't leave me alone in that classroom, it's damn scary in there!" He hears from behind, only to see Kagami Taiga slapping his back hard – was that a greeting? Perhaps, but he wasn't in the mood for it, if anything, he was mad – or maybe jealous.

"Kagami-kun, isn't it best for you to stay where you are most welcome? Besides- you should be thankful that the class accepted you without hesitation."

"Tss... what are you saying, you idiot?" Kagami facepalmed, and Kuroko looked up at his partner in confusion, questioning his statement. If anyone was the idiot – if he remembered right – it would be Kagami himself.

"What should I do to make you understand that you're the only one I actually feel comfortable being with?"

There's this moment when you're friend acts weirdly, and in this case, he's an angel, and he's pulling an angelic expression in what is usually on his face – a glare, mix that with slight embarrassment and you get Kagami Taiga's behaviour right now, it creeped Kuroko out to the bone.

"I- I mean, you know... since you've been chosen, the demons might target you at any moment... and you know, you might end up getting in danger and we all wouldn't want that, I wouldn't, saving people is a pain in the ass... You really can't live without me, huh, Kuroko?"

"Really, Kagami-kun? It seems like the other way around if you ask me..." The shorter of the two teased, and even without looking, he could pretty much guess Kagami's expression by now.

"O-Oi!"

It was by any means – true. After all, Kagami Taiga all of Kuroko's homework for his (Kagami's) first day of school (in Kuroko's case, second), not to mention they were seatmates and Kagami always looked to Kuroko with a pleading expression, asking him about what the answer was to the teacher's question to avoid looking dumb.

"Now, Kagami-kun, we wouldn't want me telling you on to the teacher do we?"

Kagami screamed with disbelief, he just couldn't believe it. He didn't know why he was ever so scared by that, if his comrades in Heaven and the demons had heard about this, his pride would be screwed.

He was actually losing in an "argument" with this person with absolutely no social life – not to mention he was practically Mr. Invisible.

Now this is why he learns a lesson to not get on Kuroko Tetsuya's nerves (though he didn't exactly do that), for you would get an equally painful answer to your retort.

And so recess passed just like that, and he had to admit – that was one heck of a fun recess.

* * *

Teikou Academy had this habit of being different from other schools – and it wasn't on purpose, it just... happened, for of course, it was this elite school established by the combination of brilliant human minds.

Just imagine how brilliant the idea was to Kagami for the whole third day of school to be spent on getting to know your chosen club.

He was fired up, terribly. He could still remember those days when he would run recklessly and wildly to the club room in anticipation – but then again, those all happened back when he was truly alive.

Well in this case, it wasn't a club room, it was a gym.

It had been awfully convenient that all the targets in the list belonged to the basketball club and how he loved basketball in his past life – so of course it was a given that Kuroko was to attend the same club as him, for everything was just right there. How convenient was that?

"Say, Kuro-"

He didn't get to continue when he saw that his fellow partner was... well, looking terribly happy-go-lucky in his own almost emotionless way. However, even he could tell that something was _different_.

"Kuroko?!"

This was followed by a sense of impatience when there was almost no response except a receiving nod, indicating Kuroko snapped back to reality and told Kagami that it really wasn't necessary to shout out like that when they were just beside each other.

"Sorry... you just... seemed to wander off to wonderland or something, at this rate, you might end up like an angel, your soul might drift off from happiness... sorry 'bout that."

It was a friendly joke, and Kuroko almost seemed to believe it for a moment – until he saw Kagami's rather amused face. He merely put on a cute pout and told Kagami that he couldn't help it.

After all, he was finally going to get to play in the same place with _them_ again, even if it was just from far away... it was enough. True, he may never be able to get that uniform he dreamed of having again – after all that's happened, but at least he could be with them there, it just worked like that, and that was fine with him.

He couldn't possibly turn back to those days and change anything, it was too late for that.

"...Okay?"

Kagami decided not to question Kuroko's answer, and he was starting to wonder whether or not his conqueror really was emotionless, for he swore that he just saw a look of admiration in his face... something dreaming ambitious, something much to that of a person in love?

Forget being a conqueror, was he... already _conquered _from the start?

* * *

Forget basketball, Kagami was practically gliding across the court, not kidding.

Kagami Taiga was easily accepted, for jumping capability was a rather important factor in basketball – and of course they all knew that, therefore it really wasn't any surprise when Kagami got into the first string without even taking the test.

"Oi, Kuroko, I really did it! I made history!" Kagami shouted out proudly with his new achievement, for he was the only freshman who made it without being a member of the club back in middle school... or at least that's what he thought.

"Not really, Kagami-kun... besides, Kise-kun did it too right?"

At this, Kagami could only blink and ask Kuroko who Kise was, and Kuroko merely replied that he was a popular student back in his middle school days- and even now his popularity as a student and as a model was rising. Kuroko couldn't help but wonder how Kagami couldn't possibly know of the said person's existence – after all, he must have heard that name at least once right? The news of Kise joining the basketball club for his freshman year was basically the most frequent topic of his fangirls – and fanboys – and that was saying something, for he had a _lot_.

"Come on... Well, I'm still making history, all I have to do is beat him right?" Kagami asked with a confident tone, as if reassuring himself that it wasn't over yet.

"Heh... so someone here says that he could beat me that easily huh...?"

Kagami and Kuroko turn to where this playful voice came from, only to find Kise Ryouta there – who seemed to have heard the entire conversation.

"So... you're Kise Ryouta? Hmm... doesn't look really impressive... if you ask me."

This sudden revolutionary sparking up war (exaggerated much?) caught the attention of quite a lot of spectators, too much that even the regulars who were in the first string gym rushed in to the venue of the qualification exam to see what was brewing up, only to find a redhead and a blonde fighting.

But that in some ways, was interesting.

"Heh... well then, why don't we have a match right here, right now?" Kise suggested, playfully twirling a ball in his finger, Kagami need not remember where that ball came from – for the only thing that was in his mind was beating this guy named Kise Ryouta.

"One on one, normal rules... whoever gets ten points first wins, how's that?"

Kagami got even more annoyed when he looked at the model's face while making the suggestion, and he couldn't help but want to punch his precious face, seeing that smile just basically screamed out "underestimation".

Well he wasn't going to give in, he wasn't going to lose now – he was sick of losing everything, and this time there were no second chances, he knew that, and that's why he was there right now.

"Fine by me, and to make things more interesting... whoever's the loser has to do what the winner says, or wait, are you a wimp that you're so scared of losing, huh?" Kagami smirked, and seeing the anger in the blonde's face made him even more pleased.

"Tch... fine, but don't go crying when you lose, **Kagami Taiga**."

* * *

"Oi, Akashi, aren't you sort of curious about what's gonna happen? This doesn't happen every day, ya' know... Though I have to say, I'm sort of surprised you didn't stop this."

Akashi Seijuro still watched in silence as the two new prodigal first stringers continued to fight in the sport known as "basketball", though he had to admit, it didn't look that way anymore.

Or at least, he wasn't looking at them now.

"Daiki, I should say the same to you, after all... don't you want to see _him_?"

The rest of them were well aware of who Akashi Seijuro was referring to, and they all diverted their gazes to the bluenette who was watching the match unfold as well.

"Akashi, you mean Kuroko?"

"Yes, Shintarou, thankfully you are quick to catch on and not as dense as this... what do you all call him?" Akashi mused, pretending not to know Aomine's oh-so-famous alias.

"Hmm... why do we call Minechin 'ganguro' again?"

"Hey!" Aomine Daiki protested, but it seemed to not matter, for no matter what insults and aliases they fired at him – it could never change the fact that he was Aomine Daiki, but even now he was starting to doubt whether his identity was anything big, after all...

"It's because... Tetsuya said so."

The mention of the name made them all stir up inside – but now they didn't seem to know what was right and what was wrong anymore. They had lost sight of what was important, and because of that, they had lost the person they actually cared for to the most unpredictable thing possible.

**_Love._**

"Say... I wonder if Tetsu already forgave us for what we all did?"

Now that they looked back to it, it was basically unforgivable, and only now were they starting to realize that maybe they did hurt him deeply after all, and that setting the past aside could never solve anything and cover their mistakes – they were starting to wonder whether or not there was even hope of bringing him back.

"... I just hope so, Daiki, I hope so."

They all didn't want false hope to blind them again, for if in case that happened – then they had already lost the game.

_The game of life which they so desperately wanted to win over._

* * *

"Hey! Listen to what I have to say! Or are you just gonna be an excuse of a loser, huh?"

Kise Ryouta did not in the slightest like being called a "loser", and he was about to protest that he didn't need Kagami Taiga shove that in front of his face.

"Could you please stop following me around?"

Kise Ryouta also didn't like people following him around- for his life was already full of that and he didn't need the person who won over him to add to that list too – this was the worst day ever.

"...Fine, I'll listen to what you have to say. Just not... here, alright? Maybe afterschool?"

"...Deal."

* * *

**_And so... Afterschool.._**

"So, Kagami Taiga, what's this order of yours? So I can just get this over with..."

Kagami Taiga had almost forgotten how cocky this guy was, he already lost to him, and now he was being all demanding, it seriously pissed him off.

"Well, you see that guy over there?" Kagami points his finger to Kuroko who shoots a questionable look at him. _Just trust me, Kuroko. _He says through telepathy, which they had achieved through the multi-functional wristbands, which might as well also signify the bond between Kuroko and Kagami.

Kise looks at the direction where Kagami's finger is pointing, and he is incredulously sure that there's no one there, someone with a pair of normal human eyes couldn't possibly see-

Wait.

He could make out a figure amidst the flush of blue he could see through the clear view of the sky they could see through the view of Teikou's rooftop, and he had to admit, it was hard to concentrate on this figure with all the students he saw from beneath walking out of the campus. Indeed, there was a pale bluenette standing there, and he swore he wasn't there just now- or wait, was he?

"Wah! W-Who are you?" he gapes, and he wonders why he's even shocked.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Kuroko Tetsuya. Please excuse Kagami-kun's uncouth behaviour, he's generally not a bad person." Yeah sure, he's not a person, he's an angel, but Kagami doesn't protest, for if he did, well things were going to get bad.

If Kise Ryouta knew he was an angel, then he probably would hunch that Kagami's air walking skill was a natural thing that came from his experience as an angel, and no, he didn't cheat, it just came without his permission– he didn't want his victory to be viewed as "not so hardly-fought for" did he?

His pride would not allow it. Ever.

"Hmm... Well, I can guess he's not a true gentleman, since he's letting someone else apologize for him."

This was received by a "Hey!" which couldn't help but make Kuroko remember certain things and a certain someone – but he quickly shoved those thoughts off and told Kise that he _still _didn't hear what Kagami was supposed to say.

"Oh, yeah... right." Kagami says, and he feels rather excited, for in his opinion, his idea was generally genius.

Too bad he was too rash to consider the consequences after that.

"Kise Ryouta, out of that act of defeat, you are to date this guy." Kagami drags Kuroko to his side and bumps his fist onto his head. "For a whole week, no take backs."

Kise and Kuroko did not take this lightly, this was followed by protests, even Kuroko was equally surprised – just like Kise was. This was totally uncalled for, and he didn't hear anything about this, in fact he didn't want to hear any more. If he recalled rightly, relationships were not to be taken lightly – he would know, after all... he of all people would know that emotions were not to be controlled, for they were simply uncontrollable, and he didn't want his life being controlled for him.

"Kagami-kun, what is the meaning of this?"

"Kuroko-kun's right... you can't just-!"

"Oh yes, I could. Believe me Kise Ryouta, I have seen a side of defeat you haven't, and those who don't work hard for victory have to know what's ahead... Well, have fun!"

And such was why the two – Kise Ryouta and Kuroko Tetsuya – got stuck with each other in this predicament.

* * *

Meanwhile, heaven was peaceful as it was – if not busy, and Aida Riko suddenly stood up from her chair, unable to believe what she had just found out.

She had to pass it on to the rest.

* * *

It was a terrifying day, and it was beyond the Seirin angel unit what exactly would make Riko Aida, the Riko Aida, flap her wings excitedly.

That never ever happened, not in her life, not in their life in heaven.

"O-Oi, Riko, what the heck happened?" Hyuuga asked, slightly worried, though he had to admit, seeing Riko in this state was sort of funny and enjoyable.

"Now now, let's hear what she has to say." Teppei suggests, for he is of course interested, and he guessed that it must have been related to the files she had on the surface of her palm – to be specific, data on certain humans, wondering whose info it was, a certain curious individual by the name of Koganei asked whose it was.

"We really were right for choosing Kuroko-kun... because..."

There was anticipation as Riko browsed through the files and transmitted the information to them, and needless to say, it was no wonder that Riko Aida was flapping her wings in such a carefree fashion.

Maybe... there was hope in saving the world after all, even more than they imagined...

"Aomine Daiki, Midorima Shintarou, Murasakibara Atsushi and Akashi Seijuro... four of the targets... have already fallen in love with Kuroko-kun in the past."

* * *

**Omake/ Bonus/ Filler/ Sneak peek at Kagami's dorm life (Yes, it's different this time):**

"Oi, Kuroko, can I borrow your science homework?"

Still no response from the bluenette, and Kagami reluctantly turns to his dormmate who is lying on the bed embracing a pillow, looking rather... annoyed.

Now... who was he annoyed at, you ask?

"Oi, Kuroko, did Kise do something to you while I left the two of you alone back there? Oi-"

He no longer gets to continue, for he gives in to the pillow which slammed on his face quite accurately.

"Kagami-kun, _I have seen a side of defeat you haven't, _and those who don't consider other people's emotions should be aware of what punishment they shall receive_, _and that includes people like **you**."

Kuroko feels completely satisfied, taking his anger out already. Kagami on the other hand is surprised that Kuroko actually had the capability of being angry- though he doesn't voice that out for he was _well aware of what's ahead_. He keeps quiet the entire night, and so does Kuroko.

Not a single word spoken, and guess what, Kagami feels _lonely_.

Talk about sweet revenge.

* * *

**So... I also, did not expect this to turn out like this. I guess I found it awkward for them not to know Kuroko, and they're already at high school, so I was like: THEY NEED A BACKGROUND STORY NOW.**

**And yes, that end is NOT a lie, more will be explained in future chapters. As for Kise... don't think he has a least chance on Kuroko compared to the others just because he's new... because he is of course one of the harem members. I did tweak a bit though, about how Kise didn't join the basketball club back in middle school... though I'm not throwing all the information right now, that's a spoiler ^_^.**

**Till the next update~**

**-BerryBliss**


	3. Chapter 2: Peculiarities and Photographs

**So... thank you very much to the reviewers of the first (second in chapter count) chapter! MehLikey-san and -san! Yessss, this is the second chapter! (If you don't count the prologue) - there's some KiKuro development and the real stuff starts next chap - working on it now. Once again, thank you for reading this story - review or not. If only I could mention you all - but I don't want to make this author's note long.**

**I'll post the beta'd version later - when beta-san is done with it - praise her, MehLikey-san who's willing to beta this story *applause please***

**Update: Beta'd version posted**

**Well then - conquest start!**

* * *

Kise Ryouta was frowning to himself for the hundredth time already, and it wouldn't be long before he would whine to himself under his breath for the hundredth time as well. He couldn't let that happen, not now.

"Kise, you seem quieter than usual... what's with the glum face? Could it be love problems again? When's the last time I saw you look like that?"

_Not for a long time_, Kise guesses, for he had quite a long history with his roommate, Aomine Daiki, with whom he had shared a dorm room with for two straight years, and he himself knew that it wasn't like him being so melancholic. He had to give more credit to the girls this time, being tenacious enough to put up with what seemed like a joke every day.

"Aominecchi... have you ever fallen in love?"

His roommate doesn't really react, though Kise sees the surprise in Aomine's eyes, in fact he himself was surprised he even managed such a question. He must have been looking like an idiot right now. Add the fact that Aomine Daiki was a pervert who only seemed to care about his world with basketball and gravure models, then this topic was bound to be dropped from the start.

"...Yeah." was the totally unexpected response, and this made Kise suddenly jump in surprise, get up from the bed, and start to question the credibility of this answer.

"...You sure it wasn't one of your gravure models or something? Or maybe someone from your porn magazine collection under your bed?" Kise suspiciously asks, shooting a distrustful look to Aomine who was in his eyes at least – not taking this seriously enough. He was though, for there was no sign that he was lying.

He had enough of lying to himself, he had been doing it for a long time now. Perhaps, if he hadn't answered to Kise's question, then he would still remain a liar.

"Nah..." Aomine shakes his head, and Kise swore he just saw Aomine sad for a moment – though it only lasted for a second – until Aomine gapes and asks how Kise knew about his collection of magazines. Kise shoves the matter off and just mutters out a curt "never mind".

"Hey wait, you aren't curious about my drama middle school life?" Aomine smirks, and this was followed by a weak shrug from Kise, saying he had more important things to worry about.

"If you say so... I'm just gonna give you this piece of advice," There is a slight pause until he advices Kise to consider feelings as a formidable thing, that they make people crazy. He finalizes it with a short joke on how you sometimes end up with the person you least expect to end up with. Kise nods at this advice, treating it as a third person's view of it.

"By the way Aominecchi..."

"What is it?" says Aomine, who's already lying down, preparing to sleep.

"...You might not be that much of a dense idiot after all."

Aomine is proud that this model finally acknowledges his "talent in solving love problems", though he had to admit – he didn't even do anything, and just like Kise said, they both had more important things to worry about. Reminiscing back to the past wasn't really fun though, considering retrospect of the past events, in the end all that's left is regret.

"Yeah sure, good night... and thanks for the compliment." he sarcastically adds with it.

* * *

_A single smile is all it takes to make other people happy_.

Kise keeps that in mind every day as he walks, runs, talk,s as well as simply breathes, as long as he lives as Kise Ryouta to the outside world, the well-famed model rising to stardom.

Everyone's the same... no matter how you look at it.

He looks around, seeing the monotonous world to be what it was, hiding lies and suffering with its seemingly happy façade, covering what lay beneath all of it. As far as he knew, he couldn't seem to trust anyone, he couldn't seem to be accepted as who he truly was, he couldn't seem to entrust his emotions to a single human being – it was just too... hard.

I don't know what it's like to smile sincerely that much anymore... I don't even know how long it's been since I last felt truly happy...

**_A single smile is all it takes to make other people happy._**

_And yet... why...?_

_Why can't I seem to feel... anything?_

_Why can't my own smile make me happy?_

_Was it because it was all a lie?_

* * *

"Kise-kun," was the first thing he heard after awakening from his nap in joint class, and it wakes him up, good lord. He was bound to have slept from the very first word of the lesson anyway. It's always that way when looking at who would end up as his seatmate before class. It wasn't even a game anymore. It was always fought over. Always.

_Wait... that voice..._

"Kuroko-kun?!" Kise exclaims, and the latter wonders why he seemed so surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"...Well, Kagami-kun reserved this seat for me by fighting his way through, and well... He didn't really like the idea of sitting beside you so I was wondering why he did so. He put up quite a fight saying he did this for me... Do you mind Kise-kun? If so I could-"

"No, it's okay, really though, I'd rather have you than anyone else... Since well, people here are... I'd better leave that unsaid." _And besides, don't leave when Bakagami went through all the trouble to get this seat, that comment's too late too! You're already sitting there!_

"Kise-kun... are you perhaps..."

"Kise Ryouta-san! You've been talking to yourself for a while now! Hush the tone and please visit the mental hospital when needed!" The teacher scolds, the last part a joke, and the class bursts into laughter – though the girls did have comments on how this teacher had such nerve to reprimand their... well, Kise.

"Eeeeh? Sensei, I really have a person beside me! Kuroko-kun, Kuroko Tetsuya-kun!" He says in defense of himself, and Kuroko shoots a stare at him, perhaps wondering why he even bothered to defend himself.

_Is he... worried about the opinions of others? Earlier too... he seemed... lonely – could he have felt... alone?_

Kuroko shoves these thoughts away when the teacher approaches his seat and looked at it – specifically Kuroko for verification, but she only seems to see thin air, until she reached out her hand to see if someone was there – and indeed, her hand rested on Kuroko's head, caressing the teal hair.

"Sensei, please don't do that." Kuroko speaks out, for the teacher seems too obsessed with his hair like a lot of people do – just when it took a lot out of him earlier this morning to fix the tufts of it sticking out – reaching out for heaven was what he called it now.

It's similar to how someone did it in the past too.

"Sorry, I got... too carried away." She once again walks to the front and continues writing on the blackboard, some whatnot considered "necessary for their futures" – but then again, they would need it.

...How's Kagami-kun, I wonder?

He looks to his left where Kagami is snoring loudly, weird though, Kuroko swore he felt a glare directed at him and Kise earlier... who could it be?

"Kise-ku-"

Oh well, this one's given in to drowsiness and boredom as well – might as well let them rest.

For now.

* * *

Art class... Kuroko had nothing to say about how the teacher thought up quite eccentric projects – the class agreed with him – and that was perfectly obvious seeing the expressions in their faces, well, not like it was a major problem for them, Kuroko thought – it seemed more of a problem on his part.

And guess who ended up as his partner after much persistence and pushing from Kagami (which he called helping)?

Kise Ryouta – oh the luck.

He had to admit though, this kind of project made him rather fortunate to have Kise as a partner to be honest.

They were to make a scrapbook of pictures of themselves portraying 5 kinds of emotion in different ways – there were no requirements on how many pictures each partner needed to be in – the teacher even clarified that one could serve as the photographer and the other as the model, or the two partners could be in all pictures together – and that the deadline was next week.

Kuroko had to admit though – he never really was fond of pictures, for he was always told to smile – which he found so hard when he just couldn't – it's been a while since he actually took a picture with someone in fact – and deep inside he somehow knew...

Even though Kise Ryouta was a model and he went through this most of his life, he wasn't fond of pictures, after all...

* * *

"Kise-kun... you don't have to force it... I won't force you – I'm not the photographer of your photo sessions, I'm not someone who's requiring you to do this – I'd rather you not do it if you do it like that."

"What does that necessarily mean Kuroko-kun? How many shots of me do you plan to take till you're satisfied?"

"You know what I mean, Kise-kun."

Kuroko knew that Kise knew what he meant – the sad face which the blonde had proved thus – it was very much similar to the look of a child denying his fault – and Kuroko did not hesitate to say so, he was straightforward, he didn't like lying to others – that would count as lying to himself.

"I'm not mature enough Kuroko-kun... I'm not mature enough to say no to their smiles... No matter what they're hiding beneath them... I'm not mature enough to accept my emotions as my own... I feel as if there's another Kise Ryouta when I smile, someone who isn't me – I know that and yet..."

"You have to learn to accept who you are Kise-kun, forcibly smiling might convince them, but not me, not you... You yourself are the only one who knows what you truly feel, and no one would ever know if you didn't express that, not even me..."

Sometimes, Kise couldn't help but think those who mask themselves in an emotionless mask are the ones who know the most about what other people are feeling – and this proves that true after all, heck, this person knew him more than he did.

"Kise-kun, what could I do to make you smile?"

This question surprises him – he definitely wasn't expecting that, and here was Kuroko Tetsuya yet again, exceeding expectations – what had he been doing all his life to not notice the good spirit in this boy named Kuroko Tetsuya? No wonder people called him an idiot.

"Well... you can make me smile if you take a picture with me~! Will you consider, Kuroko-kun?"

"...If you insist, but please be sure that you aren't doing this for your own pleasure..." Kuroko murmurs.

"Are you?" The bluenette adds for verification, eyeing Kise suspiciously, and the blonde wished that people trusted him more – but well... people who trusted him were naïve at times, he himself knew he wasn't to be trusted, he was a mischievous one at heart.

"Maybe... maybe not? I'll have you think about that for yourself~! Ah, but wait, who's gonna be our photographer,? Ever for you Kurokocchi, we can't get a good shot if we don't have someone else to do it..."

"I have the perfect person in mind, Kise-kun, if you would just wait."

* * *

"So... that perfect person is this guy?" Kise narrows his eyes looking at the said person who just appeared out of nowhere – he expected someone more... decent, this was better than nothing though.

"You got a problem with that?" Kagami Taiga sighs, expecting this guy to be more grateful, after he had gone all the way to answer Kuroko's call through telepathy – he expected something from that call like how Kuroko might have needed him, but no – he just had to be the photographer... he did consider that this might help with the conquest though.

"Never mind that Kise-kun, if you're not okay with Kagami-kun you'd might as well do the project yourself..."

"No! Anything but that, I finally got to convince you-"

"Wait, you forced Kuroko into this?!" Kagami bellows, and Kuroko manages to erase the thought and that he was doing this of his own will – which saved Kise quite effectively.

"Okay... fine..." Kagami mutters as Kuroko fetches the camera, but the look in his eyes told Kise that it wasn't settled yet, and that more was coming, Kise wasn't looking forward to it that much though, he still didn't trust Kagmi ever since that suggestion on dating Kuroko – he had to admit though, he had to thank Kagami for making him get to know Kuroko a bit. Or wait – what was he thinking? Now wasn't the time for that – he had to focus.

As Kagami receives the camera, Kuroko told Kagami that it was better if he set the timer to automatic ten seconds for allowance, which he complies to of course – why would he disobey his partner, the conqueror? His chosen partner's orders *ahem* requests were his will (yes, not absolute... not really).

"Okay, ten seconds starts now! Ten... nine..."

As the countdown continues, the two adjust their positions – and much to Kuroko's surprise, when five struck – Kise suddenly places his arm over his shoulder and moves his face closer to Kuroko's, so that they were on eye contact level, and Kuroko could hear Kise's breathing pattern because of the closeness. He was slightly uncomfortable, but he knew he had to bear with it if he wanted to get through.

And that was probably the brightest smile of Kise's he had ever seen – the grin widely extending as if not getting enough to express the happiness, yes, that smile he had long since missed to see on someone – it reminded him of memories.

"Okay... uh... is it cheese?" Kagami suddenly followed up when three struck, and Kise's suggestion Kuroko wanted to follow – but just couldn't.

"Chissu!"

It wasn't the Japanese of "cheese" no, it was Kise's way of things, Kuroko guesses, and it must have been effective, only Kuroko didn't want it's effect to be on him, he just wants to be that kind of person, so he manages a small smile himself.

For Kise's sake and effort – a genuine one, and he had to admit, it's been a while since he felt so, this tingling sensation of what seemed like timid happiness.

***Click***

"Okay, it turned out pretty good... Great, now I just want to smash the camera, you smiled too big, idiot!" Kagami comments while looking at the picture, Kuroko and Kise followed as Kise wanted to look at the pictures – Kuroko said he would get to look at him later anyway – but Kise insisted – so he ended up looking at them, and he didn't regret it.

"Uwaa, it turned out really good, ne ne, Kurokocchi, can you send it to me later this evening? I sort of have a photo shoot a little later and well... I'm not entirely free this afterschool..."

True enough, they had admittedly forgotten that Kise was busy, and that he had took quite a large portion of his only break time which was this short period of afterschool which Kise seemed to value a lot, for the loss seemed to have struck him hard.

"Well, thank you for that Kurokocchi and Kagamicchi, that was really fun~! Thank god we chose this place behind the school, it made it a lot easier, really! Well, see the two of you tomorrow, now the project's finally done!"

And with that the blonde was gone, just like that, seeming to be quite in a hurry, and Kuroko had to admit, that time they spent taking pictures seemed to pass by really quickly – some part of Kuroko wished it could have been longer, some small part of him anyway.

"Wait... Why is he calling us with 'cchi' in our names, huh?!" Kagami growls, and Kuroko didn't know why Kagami still held a slight grudge at Kise when he was the one at fault in the first place – he had to admit though, hearing themselves addressed with "cchi" like how Kise did so with other selective people was rather awkward, and it would probably take a while before they would get used to it.

"Ah... Kise-kun adds that to the people he respect... aren't you glad Kagami-kun? He respects you – shouldn't you be a bit more proud?"

"HELL NO! Wait, Kuroko... are you...?"

"What is it, Kagami-kun?" asks Kuroko looking at Kagami's sudden change in expression – well, it pretty much looked the same, except this was more of the element of surprise – what was so surprising he wondered.

"Are you falling for Kise?!"

"...That's a good question... am I?"

He considers the thought – realizing it could have been frighteningly true, he knew he was tasked to do this, but he wasn't told that conflicting emotions came with it, in all trueness... was he?

"Wait, don't answer a question with a question!"

Kuroko left Kagami to protest to himself while he looked at the several pictures. True enough, Kise Ryouta looked good in his own way, but if Kuroko were to describe Kise's charm, it would be something close to expressiveness. Every detail of his expression had been counted in consideration, and Kuroko would have to compare him to the bright sun.

The light.

"Kagami-kun, let's go back to the dorms now, we don't have to be here anymore."

"Oh... yeah, yeah right." Kuroko wonders why Kagami seemed to have been in a trance – perhaps thinking back to something, it wasn't unusual, it often happened to him – being lost in thought was sometimes a given, if you asked Kuroko, it's the only way he could be sure that his past was his.

"So, Kuroko, how long is this first conquest gonna take, what do you think?"

"...Probably... it'll probably end soon."

All things had to come to an end – they were bound to be that way, nothing was permanent, not even the past he had which was his future back then – nothing assured him that Kise was to continue on "falling" for him, he just wished he could have a say in this a bit more – this plan seemed to be too cruel, people forgetting their heartfelt emotions once this all ends, in the end was he just someone playing with their emotions? He hoped not – he wouldn't allow himself to do it.

He would never let the past be repeated.

* * *

"It seems the plan is going smoothly... Only there are some nuisances..." Riko strategizes as she thought of more instructions to give Kagami, everything was going the way it was supposed to be so far, only some unexpected things which could be dealt with easily... or maybe not, it wasn't within their control as of now.

"What are they? Are they so urgent they have to be gotten rid of now for you to mention them to us?" Hyuga questions as he starts thinking what could pose to a threat to them as well.

Mitobe suddenly motions at certain information he had gathered, proving a demon wave heading for Japan, specifically – the place where Kagami and Kuroko was – not very big, the demon unit was composed of three, however there was one high-class demon whose identity remained unable to be attained – as if something were blocking the information from being attained and viewed.

"...This has never happened before, but... things happen when we least expect them to..." Teppei shakes his head as he uses his skills to track down the identity as soon as it could possibly be attained.

"Doing that is appreciated, Teppei-kun." Riko acknowledges the effort and moves on to the second matter – which was truly out of their control this time.

"Well... you see, there's more. It seems that... The rule is soon to be broken."

"What rule?"

"You see... Kuroko-kun is slowly but surely falling for Kise Ryouta – but rest assured, there is a slim chance of him truly falling for Kise-kun, so I won't consider that a problem... But if it did, then things won't be pretty."

They knew what this meant – when the conqueror bears equal feelings for the conquest target, this causes a reaction when the time of bringing out the miracle comes, and demon activity was to be increased, it was basically a magnet of energy disturbances for demons – as if they wanted to be sent to their grave.

"It's Hanamiya Makoto... one of the demon generals."

It was going to be a big fight ahead – and they had to trust Kagami and Kuroko for the meantime, if necessary, they would take action. For now... they would wait.

They would let things unfold.

* * *

**Omake/ Bonus/ A Sneak Peek at Kise's Peculiar Life/ Aomine's Sleepless Night:**

Kise Ryouta had just finished work – and nothing beat how he had just received the promised picture from Kuroko in a message just now. Now here he was in the dorms sitting uptight, shouting out his joy unhesitantly without a single thought.

"WAAAH! Kurokocchi is so cute! We are so fit together, he should just marry him already! Or wait, that wouldn't do... hmm... I should consider Kagamicchi's suggestion and just date him!"

"Wait, Kise, say that again."

"Aominecchi? What? Which part? You mean how I was so fabulous with-"

"No, I mean, did you just say Kuroko?"

Aomine Daiki had a stricken expression and Kise wonders why for a moment – Aomine seemed sad. It was rare for Kise to see this, as far as this bluenette was concerned it seemed to only happen once in a blue moon.

"...Yeah? Sorry, Aominecchi, but you're being really creepy... look, here's the picture!" Kise says as he shows the picture to Aomine, and there it was again, that expression mixed with regret and what seemed like guilty.

"...Tetsu..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" Aomine dismisses, "I just said... you're too noisy I can't sleep so just shut up already! Drool on the picture tomorrow, people are trying to sleep here!"

"Oopsie!" Kise chuckles, coming into realization, "Sorry, I'll shut up now."

_That's where Aominecchi's wrong... the thing is, tomorrow might __**never**__ come!_

And so at that night, within one of the many rooms in the boys' dorm, screams, squeals and giggles could be heard, and Aomine couldn't sleep that night – heck how could he? Not when he could hear those ear-threatening noises – they were just that disturbing.

He just wished they would end – if God could just save him from all the trouble...

* * *

**Beta, MehLikey: Wassup? I'm just gonna say hi from my spot on your window (be afraid, be very afraid!) and tell all you readers that if you don't review, I'll smack you with a wooden spoon. *waves wooden spoon in air* Ooops. Sorry, was that your window? I didn't realize that they were so easy to smash.**

**And that was our beta desu~!**

**These omakes... I don't know what I'm doing with this omake series anymore *facepalms* Next in line for update is Rise of the Sidekicks and Warmth: Where the Heart Lies... working on Chocolate Romance too (I know, it was a long wait ;-; , I had block for that one)**

**Well then - what will become of the two - the blonde and the bluenette as the end of the conquest is coming ever closer! Find out next chapter! :)**

**-BerryBliss (And MehLikey-san)**


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